Couple Files Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Following Racist Text Message from Agent

A Black couple, Lisa Renee Olaso and her fiancé Julien Christopher, seeking an apartment in Queens, have filed a lawsuit for housing discrimination against Douglas Elliman Realty and the property owners. This legal action follows an incident that occurred in June when Olaso received a damaging text from an agent stating, “Ugh. They are black…” Olaso believes the message was mistakenly sent to her instead of the property’s owner.

Despite confronting the agent, who apologized and referenced prior issues with Black tenants in the neighborhood, Olaso felt the explanation did not alleviate the emotional hurt. The couple’s lawsuit claims violations of various housing discrimination laws, while Douglas Elliman confirmed that the agent is no longer with the company and reiterated their zero-tolerance stance on discrimination. Efforts to obtain comments from the involved parties were unsuccessful.